Planting Your Roots
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Kendall is faced with a difficult situation.
1. Cammy's Big Idea

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Dino Charge. This story is fan-made._

"It should go a little higher."

"You sure?"

"The left side at least."

Tyler stepped down from the ladder and looked to the banner he was trying to hang up. He tilted his head from side to side, then moved the ladder over from the right to the left. He pulled the end of the banner up and looked down at his little helper.

"Now?"

Cammy examined the banner and then shrugged, "Nope. Still a little higher. Then you'll have to bring the right side up a bit."

"You're more detail-oriented than Ms. Morgan," Tyler muttered. He lifted the banner then moved the ladder over to make the adjustments on the right side. "It's no wonder she asked you to do this."

"I like helping out," Cammy nodded. "Besides, if you're going to introduce a new dinosaur into the museum, you have to do it right! There! There! Perfect, don't move it one bit!"

Tyler carefully hung the banner exactly where Cammy said, and then stepped off the ladder to admire his work. Cammy had been very picky about the placement, but looking to it now, he could see the banner looked great.

"Good job, kid," he ruffled her hair, causing her to laugh. "Ms. Morgan was right to make you chief decorator."

"What do you think they're going to name the dinosaur?" Cammy asked. "Does Kendall get to pick? If she does, do you think she'll vote for the Cammysaurus? It had a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"I'm not sure Ms. Morgan's got much of a say there," Tyler shrugged his shoulders. "Though, if she did, you would certainly have her wrapped around your finger just enough for her to pull some strings for you."

"Who's hungry?" Riley asked as he brought over a tray of burgers for the Rangers and Cammy. "I think it's about time we took a lunch break."

"So hungry," Koda said as he walked over. He took half the burgers on the tray in his hands and proceeded to shovel them one by one into his mouth. Cammy chuckled as she watched.

"You're going to make yourself sick again, Koda."

With his mouth full, Koda looked to the little girl curiously. He swallowed with a big gulp then placed his hand over his chest painfully.

"Ugh... not feel so good," he muttered.

"Told ya," Cammy chuckled, then offered her water to Koda. He gulped that down and his stomach seemed to settle enough for him to continue eating. Cammy rolled her eyes.

"He never learns."

"So, Cammy, how are you liking your visits here?" Riley looked to the little girl with a smile. "The museum isn't getting too boring for you yet, is it?"

"Are you kidding?" Cammy shook her head. "This museum is so cool! Dinosaurs used to be scary, but now they're so much fun! And Kendall always knows how to make all this old, dead stuff interesting. Like, did you know, the stegosaurus' brain was only the size of a walnut! That's like, just this big!"

Cammy held her fingers apart to show the Rangers, who laughed as they looked to Koda. He was the only one who didn't seem to enjoy that fact.

"Still good dinosaur."

"So, Ms. Morgan really knows how to make this stuff interesting?" Shelby asked. "Like, you actually have fun on her tours? She's not... you know, a little stiff?"

"Stiff?" Cammy frowned. Shelby nodded her head.

"Like... boring?"

"Kendall? Boring? No way! She knows so much about dinosaurs. She's so cool. When I grow up, I want to be just like her."

"Just like Ms. Morgan?" Riley asked. "Our Ms. Morgan? The one who works, works, works?"

"This coming from you," Chase chuckled at the green Ranger. Riley shook his head.

"I train. That's different."

"Train for what?" Cammy asked, then shook her head. "Kendall's the best. She's so funny and smart and pretty. I want to be just like her. That's why, after she gives me a tour today, I'm going to ask her to adopt me!"

Koda spit out his drink and all the Rangers looked to each other worriedly. They couldn't speak for Kendall, nor did they think they understood anything of what was going on with her, but they were all sure she wasn't ready for this from Cammy.

"A... adopt?"

"No one else is going to do it," Cammy nodded her head. "Besides, even if someone else did want me, I don't want to leave Kendall. So if she adopts me..."

"Have you and Kendall talked about this before?" Chase asked. "You've brought this up, right?"

"I've been thinking about it all week at school," Cammy smiled. "I like coming here. Kendall likes when I come here..."

"Yeah, but if she adopts you, you need to live with her all the time," Shelby pointed out. "And... well, just working with Ms. Morgan, I can tell you, she's a little difficult."

"Difficult how?" Cammy asked.

"Well, for one thing, I should be going on a lot more digs. If she had just let me go the last time, I could have been the one to find this new dinosaur. The Shelbysaurus? Shelbytops?"

"It's the Cammysaurus, and Kendall says you're not even qualified to go on digs," Cammy told her. "You're only allowed to go on the special dig teams to look for the special rocks. You can't mess with bones. They are fragile, you know."

"Yeah, but..."

"Besides, living with Kendall has to be better than living with my foster brother. He likes to fart on my face."

"So does Koda," Riley chuckled and pointed to the blue Ranger. Koda looked apologetic.

"Didn't see Riley sit there."

"I'm just saying, go outside," Riley shook his head.

"He also pulls my hair. And... my foster parents are his real parents. When Kendall adopts me, I'll have a real parent too. She can read me bedtime stories, come to my school play, and she can talk to the class on career day! She can braid my hair in the mornings, take me to the park, and we can watch movies. And, I can see you guys a lot! I like you guys. You're fun to hang out with."

"Yeah, but Cammy..."

"Cammy!" Kendall called from the other side of the hall and waved the little girl over. "You ready for that tour, now? I've got something special planned for today!"

"It's plesiosaur day," Cammy smiled. "Kendall's going to teach me all about the plesiosaur and why it's not a real dinosaur, but just as awesome."

Cammy picked up her back pack and what was left of her burger. "Coming!"


	2. Adoptions

Kendall had always dreamed of having a family. She never dreamed of starting one.

"So?" Cammy asked her once they finished up their visit at the museum. The little girl had popped the question to her mentor, leaving Kendall unable to find a way to turn her down, despite desperately needing to. "What do you say? Will you adopt me?"

"There's some new toys in the gift shop," Kendall pointed down the way. Cammy shook her head.

"You haven't answered my question," she said. "No one else is going to do it. Besides, I like you, you like me..."

"Yeah, that's true," Kendall nodded. Cammy took her hands and looked to her hopefully.

"We can have so much fun together. You can pick me up from school, take me here. I'll do my homework in the cafe, and then I can help you out with the museum stuff."

Adoption wasn't in the plan. Maybe for Cammy; Kendall hoped the little girl would find a family. She still had many potential years ahead of her, and she was a good kid. Any parent would be lucky to take her in. Kendall wouldn't be that parent. She couldn't. She didn't have the room, the time, the stability, or even the safety. She didn't know the first thing about raising kids and she didn't have time to learn. Between her job at the museum and her Ranger duties, sometimes she barely had time to feed herself.

Not to mention, it wasn't smart bringing a kid into the Ranger world. The aliens she and the Rangers faced almost daily would show no mercy for a child. Kendall couldn't put Cammy in a position where she would be in danger.

"What do you say, Kendall? Will you do it?" Cammy took off her bag, reached in and took out a piece of paper. "This is my social worker's number. You can talk to her. Tell her you want to adopt me."

Kendall shook her head, lowered herself so she could look Cammy in the eyes, then sighed sadly, "I can't adopt you."

"It'll take a while," Cammy said. "I know it will. There are papers and visits and stuff like that. But you can!"

"I... I won't adopt you, Cammy," those were the hardest words Kendall had ever muttered.

"You... won't?"

"I won't," Kendall stated again. "My life is way too busy; I don't have time for a kid."

"But I'll be good," Cammy said and reached into her bag again. She pulled out her homework, "Look, I'm a good student. I get As and I listen in class. The teacher likes me. I won't be trouble. And I do all my chores at home and I only have to be told once!"

"You're a good kid, Cammy, I know that..."

"I eat all my vegetables. I actually like them! More broccoli, less ice-cream. That's what I always say!"

"No you don't, but you are a good eater."

"And... and I'm not scared of the dark. I don't need a night light, just a teddy. I don't wet the bed as much anymore. I can take showers by myself..."

"You are a big girl," Kendall nodded her head. "And you're a good kid. I like you, Cammy, I really do. This has nothing to do with you. I just... I can't adopt you right now."

"You can, you just won't!" Cammy shouted and stomped her foot. Kendall saw the little girl was drawing attention and walked her over to a more private corner of the museum.

"Cammy, there's a lot of responsibility that comes with taking in a kid. Even the good ones."

"And I'm not worth it?" Cammy asked. "Is that it? That's why my father never stayed. That's why mommy drank."

"Cammy..."

"That's why no one wants me. I'm not good enough!"

"No, Cam..."

"I'm never getting adopted! I'll never have a family and it's all your fault! I hate you!" Cammy shouted and shoved Kendall before taking off. Kendall saw her bump into Chase before she reached the door and trusted she would be in safe hands until her foster parents came to pick her up.

Kendall slammed the door and fell into her bed, burying her face in her pillow as she muffled her cries. On the other side of her door, her foster parents knocked, eager to comfort her.

" _Kendall, please can we just talk about this?"_

" _Go away!"_

" _It's not that we don't want you..."_

" _It's just that you can't be bothered! That I'm not good enough!"_

" _Kendall, that's not it at all. Just, open the door."_

" _We love you, Kendall. You're a part of this family, you always will be. We don't need a piece of paper to..."_

" _You were given the choice and you said no!"_ Kendall shouted through the door. _"You don't want to adopt me! You don't care!"_

" _Kendall, there are a bunch of reasons why we can't. None of them have anything to do you with you. Please, open up the door. Let us..."_

" _I hate you!"_

"Kendall?" she looked up, seeing Koda had made his way over. She wiped her eyes, though she knew he had already seen the tears. He offered his hand. Kendall took it and let him help her up. "Cammy hurt you?"

"Koda..."

"Not break skull," Koda held his hands up. "Never hurt child. But can talk with Koda."

"I... I don't think you're the person I need to talk to right now," Kendall shook her head. She reached into her pocket and put the keys to the museum in Koda's hand. "Lock up tonight, alright. And I won't be home for dinner."

"Where Kendall going?"

"Home," Kendall muttered and rushed out of the museum as quickly as she could. She made her way into her car then opened the glove box, revealing an opened envelope. The letter inside had been read and tossed a long time ago, but something back then had compelled Kendall to keep the envelope. She was glad she had. It would be her way home.


	3. A Change of Perspective

The home looked exactly how Kendall had remembered it. Flowers lining the driveway and walkway, the big tree with the swing; the house looked perfect. It was just missing the white picket fence. Kendall remembered the first time she had pulled up in this driveway and how she had thought it was too good to be true.

She was at the right place, but she checked the envelope again for the address, just to be sure. She didn't want to ring the wrong bell. When she felt sure, and when she felt ready, she got out of the car and made her way up. She rang the bell, then waited a couple minutes. No one answered, and there was no car in the driveway. Maybe she had missed her chance. She was just about ready to leave when she heard the door open. She turned back.

"Mrs. Fisher?"

"Kendall?" the woman asked then threw herself at Kendall, wrapping her up in a tight, loving hug. Kendall was startled at first but opened herself to the embrace. When Mrs. Fisher pulled away, she gave Kendall a quick look up and down, then a smile, "You came home."

"I hope I'm not interrupting..."

"Nothing," Mrs. Fisher shook her head and invited Kendall inside. "You're not interrupting anything. Come on in. We were just about ready to sit down for dinner. You're more than welcome to join."

Kendall nodded and followed Mrs. Fisher into the house. It looked exactly like Kendall had remembered it. From a quick glance into the living room, she saw the same pictures were still up on the mantle. When they reached the kitchen, Kendall saw another familiar face; one that seemed just as happy to see her as Mrs. Fisher had been.

"As I live and breathe," he said as he got up from the kitchen table. "It's the brilliant Kendall Morgan, here in my home."

"We've been following your work," Mrs. Fisher explained to Kendall as Mr. Fisher hugged her tight. "Just because you walked out on us, doesn't mean you're completely out of our lives. We're so proud of everything."

"Come on, sit down," Mr. Fisher guided Kendall over to the table, pulled up a chair and offered her a plate. "It's your mother's famous mac 'n' cheese. You used to love this."

"Actually, that's why I'm here," Kendall said. Mr. Fisher looked to his wife.

"Told you. It's always the cooking that brings the kids home."

"It's not the mac 'n' cheese. Though I will have some," Kendall said. "It's about... what happened."

The Fisher's face dropped and suddenly the big welcome home seemed a little less cheery.

"Kendall..."

"I'm sorry. For everything I said."

The Fishers sat on the opposite side of the table and looked to Kendall, unsure of what to say. They had always hoped to see her again, but never expected or needed an apology from her.

"You had every right to be angry..."

"I didn't understand and I took it out on you," Kendall explained. "Now, the same thing is happening to me and... I'm just... I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry."

"You've fostered?"

"Uh, no," Kendall shook her head. "I don't have the time for anything like that. But there's this girl with a foster family right now. She comes to the museum on Fridays and I'm kind of a mentor to her. You know, because I've been there."

"She's a kid you see regularly?"

"We have a schedule. Her foster parents drop her off after school on Fridays. She does her homework in the cafe at the museum, then I give her private tours. We talk about the dinosaurs, and I answer questions and we just... talk."

"So, you're like a big sister?" Mr. Fisher said. "That's great, Kendall! Good for you."

"I thought it was. Good for both of us, I mean. But... well... Cammy had a question today and... I kind of let her down with my answer."

"She wanted you to adopt her?"

"She expected me to. Then got angry when I said no. And I've got all these reasons that she just can't understand and..."

"Kendall, you don't need to explain yourself to us. Or to her for that matter."

"She's upset," Kendall said. "And she's got every right to be. I remember how upset I was and... I wanted to help her. I wanted to make sure she came out of this mess better than I did. No offence. Now... I kind of feel like I've screwed it up for her. I got her hopes up and dashed them."

"Kendall..."

"And I didn't want to do that," Kendall said. "I didn't want to hurt her. I don't want her to feel like she's not wanted or not good enough or that any of this is her fault. She's a good kid. Anyone would be lucky to have her, so why won't anyone take her? Why is it on me?"

Mrs. Fisher got up, walked around the table and put her arms around Kendall.

"The good ones don't always get picked," she assured Kendall. "That doesn't mean they aren't still good."

"Her dad walked out on her and her mother and never looked back. Her mother drank herself to death and didn't even care about what it would do to Cammy. Why do parents do that? Why do they have to screw up perfectly good kids so no one wants them anymore?"

"We wanted you."

Kendall rolled her eyes and sighed. "I get why you didn't want to adopt..."

"We wanted it like crazy," Mr. Fisher said. "But... the time wasn't right. I had just been laid off when adopting you became an option. We were tight for cash and..."

"Keeping me as a foster child would mean more money in your pockets?"

"Hardly," Mrs. Fisher shook her head. "We weren't sure what would happen to us – to the house – if your father couldn't get a job fast enough. We weren't going to be very stable for a while, and that wasn't what you needed."

"So, if another family came along, we didn't want to stand in the way. If they had the money, the stability, and the capacity to love you as much as we did, we needed to be able to let you go. It was better for you."

"When your father did get a job, once we were sure we could keep the house, we thought of adopting you. The window was closing, you were approaching eighteen, but if we could do it, we wanted to. But you had no interest in it anymore. You said you were going off to college. You'd find your own way."

"You were such a bright kid; you had big plans for your studies. You'd need lots of money."

"I got scholarships," Kendall said. "My education practically paid for itself."

"And the costs that weren't covered in scholarships, the government paid for," Mrs. Fisher said. "If we had adopted you, you'd lose that grant. Of course, we would have been willing to help out financially if that had been the case. But you weren't interested, so we figured we wouldn't take it away."

"But you were always our daughter," Mr. Fisher told Kendall. "From the moment you walked through that door, you were ours. We didn't need a piece of paper to make it true. We always tried to do the right thing by you. Even if it seemed wrong to you at the time."

"I'm sure that's your intention with this girl," Mrs. Fisher said to Kendall. "I'm sure you're disappointing her only because you know..."

"She's better off with her foster family right now," Kendall nodded her head. "I'm... I'm not ready to be a mother. I can't do it. I've got too much work, too many responsibilities..."

"She'll understand. One day. That's all you can hope for."

"And if she doesn't?" Kendall asked. "If I've screwed her up?"

"We never gave up with you," Mr. Fisher reminded Kendall. "No matter how difficult it got. No matter how much you hated it. We were always there for you."

Kendall nodded her head, then sighed. She looked up at her foster parents.

"I really am sorry... for the way we left things," she whispered. "You guys did so much for me and I..."

"We love you, Kendall," Mrs. Fisher smiled as she hugged Kendall tight. "There's no need to apologize."


	4. Part of the Family

Kendall would be the first to admit she was the kind of person that pushed other people away. She had her walls up so high that no one had the time or patience to tear them down. Her teammates, she was sure, were only making an attempt because they were stuck with her. Without their responsibilities as Rangers, the teenagers who seemed to care for her now likely wouldn't have given her a second thought. She wouldn't give them a reason to. When she wanted, she could be very cold hearted.

But coming home showed Kendall just how much was waiting for her if she let her walls down a little. Despite what could have been, the Rangers did have her back. They were her friends. She could trust them. And she did have a family. The Fishers, while not family by blood or on paper, were the closest thing she had to a real home. The only thing that saddened her about it was that it had taken her running off and then coming back to see it.

She had talked with her foster parents over dinner about her situation with Cammy and explained her reasons for not adopting the little girl (while leaving out the part about being the brains behind the Rangers and therefore a target for Sledge and Fury). Her parents had reassured her she was doing the right thing by Cammy. Though it was tough, Kendall knew she would have to stand her ground. Adoption was not on the table.

But caring for Cammy was. Kendall would never give that up. She would constantly do what was best, even if Cammy didn't want it or didn't understand. For now, the safest place for her was with her foster parents. They loved her, they cared for her, and though they may never want to adopt her, they would provide her with what she needed growing up. They would be her home.

Kendall wandered the halls of her old home while her parents cleaned up. She had offered to help, but the insisted she refamiliarize herself with the place. They were expecting her to stop by more often and wanted Kendall to feel at home. She had to admit, it was nice finally having a place where she could retreat. In the hallway, there were pictures of the Fishers and their son Jeremy. He was quite a few years older than Kendall, and had left for college when the Fishers had taken her in. He came home for holidays, but Kendall didn't know him very well.

There were also pictures of Jeremy's family. He had married a beautiful wife, and they had a little girl together. The family seemed very happy. Kendall was happy for them. She was glad to see it had worked out for Jeremy. But what warmed her heart the most were the pictures of her that still lay around the house. There was a photo taken of her middle school graduation, then one at her high school graduation. There were pictures from her birthdays, Jeremy's birthdays, mother's days, father's day, vacations – all of which included Kendall.

"We always wanted a daughter," Kendall heard Mr. Fisher say as he joined her. "Don't get me wrong, we love Jeremy. Having a son is the most incredible experience. But your mother and I, we had our hearts set on having a daughter."

"You never tried?"

"Oh, we tried," Mr. Fisher said, and Kendall regretted asking only because of the images the answer brought to her head. "For years, with no results. A daughter just wasn't in the cards for us, biologically. You see, Jeremy, turns out, was a miracle. Your mother never should have been able to get pregnant the first time. We were told we should have been happy to have a child at all, as being blessed a second time would be impossible. So, we tried to do that. We tried to be happy with just Jeremy. He was a good kid. Always worked hard, kind with the neighbour kids. But our family wasn't done."

"That's how you became foster parents?"

"We wanted to adopt," Mr. Fisher said, "But the process was so long. We'd have to be approved, then wait to be chosen. It could have taken years. Growing up, there was a little boy who had been fostered by our neighbours. The idea hit me in the middle of the night. There were plenty of unworthy parents with children deserving of a nice, loving home. It might only be temporary, but we could foster. Before I knew it, you were on our doorstep."

"I spent all my time here wishing my dad would come back," Kendall whispered. "Must feel like a waste of a daughter..."

"Are you kidding?" Mr. Fisher chuckled. "The way you held onto your father, despite all the rejection, showed your mother and I just how loving you could be. We knew we had gotten something special. It made us love you even more."

"You obviously haven't heard my reputation. Loving wouldn't be how my employees describe me. I'm on the other end of the spectrum."

"You claim to be," Mr. Fisher said. "That's how you let other people see you. But Kendall, you lived under my roof for four years. I know who you really are."

Kendall turned to her foster father with a disbelieving look, "You think you do."

"You feel more deeply than most people," Mr. Fisher said. "The trouble with that, you're more likely to be hurt by others. So you close yourself off. That's why you took off on us eight years ago. You were hurt, bad."

"I know you did the right thing now," Kendall said. "And I'm sorry about that. What I said, taking off, never coming home..."

"You've got nothing to apologize for," Mr. Fisher assured her. "It was just... bad timing. You opened yourself up the very moment we hit hard times. I'm sorry for how much that hurt you. But we always cared about you."

"I know," Kendall nodded. "And I know I've got to do the same with Cammy. Even if she won't see it. It's just..."

"Hard?"

Kendall sighed, "I really want to give her what she wants. I wish I could take her in. End this stupid foster care crap. Give her a real place to call home. She deserves it."

"They all do," Mr. Fisher agreed. "But the best thing you can do right now is give her what she needs, not what she wants. It sounds like she's got it good with her foster parents. They seem to really want the best for her."

"They do."

"Cammy will appreciate that. And she'll appreciate your friendship one day," Mr. Fisher then smiled. "Maybe, for you, this won't be the end of your relationship. When we disappointed you, you were old enough to run off. Cammy, she's got to stick around. You can make sure she sees how much you care."

"I guess I can talk to her about it," Kendall nodded. "Explain my side. Hope one day it makes sense."

"Don't explain. Show," Mr. Fisher said. "Prove to that child she's got you to count on, even when she doesn't like it."

Kendall smiled and nodded her head. She turned to her foster father and kissed him on the cheek before announcing she was leaving. Cammy's parents had likely taken her home from the museum already, but it was still early for Cammy to head to bed. Kendall hoped she could stop by to smooth things over.

"I promise, I'll come home more often," Kendall told her foster parents before taking off.


	5. Cammy's Revelation

After a long overdue visit with her foster parents, as well as a good talk with her father, Kendall made her way over to Cammy's home and hoped she wasn't too late. She didn't want to adopt Cammy. She couldn't afford to. But she didn't want the little girl to feel abandoned and alone. So when she got to Cammy's, she stepped out of her car and was just about to knock on the door when she heard something in the bushes. Cammy must not have seen Kendall, because she tried to sneak across the lawn to get to the road. Kendall went after her and caught her before she reached the street.

"Do your parents know you're out this late?" she asked. Cammy pulled away.

"I hate you, remember. Leave me alone."

"You know, it's dangerous alone on the streets after sunset," Kendall said, and despite Cammy's pulling, she didn't let go of the girl's arm. "I know you're angry, I know you hate me, but running off isn't the answer."

"You don't care about me, so what do you care?" Cammy muttered.

"I care about you, Cammy, I really do," Kendall knelt down. "And I can't adopt you. I won't. But if there's something you need..."

"I need you to adopt me!"

"We can talk to your parents about coming by the museum more often," Kendall nodded. "My schedule's a little busy, so it can't be every week. I can take you to the park when I've got some free time, though. Or we can get ice-cream or..."

"I want a home!" Cammy shouted. "But you don't care, so just go away!"

"Cammy, I care about you a lot."

"So prove it. Adopt me!"

"I can't be your mother, Cammy. I won't be half as good as the one waiting for you inside."

"She's not my mother, she's my foster mom! I want a real mom! One who cares about me! But you don't! Let me go!"

"I care about you. I like you, Cammy, I'd do anything for you. It's just, complicated..." Kendall felt the little girl slip away and watched her run out on the street. Kendall trembled, shut her eyes, and then shouted out words she hadn't muttered in years. "I love you, Cammy!"

Cammy heard this and stopped in the middle of the street. It was a quiet neighbourhood, so there were no cars at this hour, yet Cammy wasn't able to avoid trouble. Viviks appeared, seemingly for no reason, but Kendall knew better than to doubt Sledge or Fury had something wicked in mind. It sickened her to think they would bring Cammy into the mix. However, it did show she was right about not adopting Cammy. She couldn't endanger the little girl. Two Viviks snatched her up, while the rest stood between them and Kendall.

Then, Fury appeared with a wicked smirk on his face.

"Hand over the energems."

Kendall shook her head and held up her hands, "I don't have them. Let her go."

"I'll let her go once you hand over the energems," Fury said. Kendall growled as she glanced over to Cammy and saw the Viviks holding her down. They covered her mouth with their hand, so though Cammy was trying to scream, it was muffled.

"She's got nothing to do with this..."

"She doesn't need to," Fury shook his head. "I want the energems. You care enough about this brat, I'm sure you wouldn't want to see anything happen to her. I'm asking for the six energems in your possession."

"Six?" Kendall frowned, then remembered the false yellow energem she had created to fool Sledge.

"Don't make me hurt the poor girl," Fury walked over to Cammy and pressed his foot down on her head. "I'd really like to avoid causing her harm. So just, give me the energems, I'll give back the girl, and we both get what we wanted."

Fury's foot over Cammy's head meant the Vivik covering her mouth no longer had the right angle to muffle her screamed. Cammy did her best to look to Kendall pleadingly as she begged for help. Kendall clenched her fists. She hoped the Rangers would turn up quickly, but she couldn't leave Cammy's fate up to chance.

"Fine," she said. "The energems are in the car. Go get them."

"I'll just see about that," Fury said as he made his way over to the car. While he was distracted, Kendall picked up the shovel Cammy's parents had left out after an afternoon of yard work and attacked the Viviks holding Cammy down.

"Get inside," she said to Cammy once the girl was back on her feet. Kendall had to hold off the other Viviks, certainly they wouldn't let up their attack until called off by Fury. And once he found out she had lied about the location of the energem, the fight would only escalate. Kendall didn't want Cammy in the middle of everything when it did.

"I'm scared," Cammy shook her head and whispered. Kendall sighed. She held the shovel tightly in one hand and grabbed Cammy's with the other. She pulled her to the other side of the street. The Viviks would follow her. She couldn't endanger Cammy and her foster parents by moving in closer to the house. If Cammy wouldn't run on her own, Kendall needed to protect her. On the other side of the street was a mailbox. Cammy could hide there while Kendall waited for help.

"Don't move," Kendall instructed her and Cammy nodded her head. She pressed her back up against the mailbox and watched Kendall hold off the monsters. Then she heard a cry and something explode.

"You lie!" a blast shot just past the mailbox, blowing up a tree in the park a little ways off. Cammy screamed then felt Kendall grab her arm.

"Run, fast!" Kendall said as they darted for safety behind a tree. Cammy wasn't sure why. She had seen the monster just destroy one. It couldn't have been the safest place to go. Then Kendall knelt before her.

"I know you're scared," she said. "I'm scared too, okay. But those monsters, they want me. If you run, you'll be safe."

"Why... why do they want you?"

"They think I have something, but I don't. But they won't stop until they get it. I can hold them off; I can keep them away from you. But you've got to do me a favour and just run as fast as you can back home."

"Without you?"

"Your parents will take care of you. They'll keep you safe. Once I'm done here, I'll come back."

"What do they want?" Cammy asked. Kendall shook her head.

"That's not important."

"But they'll kill you for it!"

"They won't, I promise. Just run, Cammy!"

"But..."

"Run!" Kendall said and aggressively shoved Cammy one way before taking off the other way. Cammy stumbled to the ground then picked herself up. She looked to her house, then back over to Kendall. She was still holding onto the shovel and was using it as a weapon to fight off the weird white monsters. But once the big yellow coloured one turned up, Kendall was outmatched.

"Give me the energem!" he shouted to Kendall, who knocked a monster down, then stared at him with a shake of her head. She wasn't scared.

"You'll never get them, Fury," she said, which angered the monster. Fury growled.

"You'll give me what I want," he told her, then glanced over to Cammy. She didn't like the way he looked at her. She should have run, like Kendall said. "Or I'll kill the girl."

"Cammy!" she heard her name being called from her house and saw her foster parents stumbling out frantically. They must have heard the fight, realized she had snuck out and came looking for her. But while Cammy was distracted, Fury rushed over. Cammy saw him coming but knew she no longer had the chance to run. She screamed, afraid the monster would kill her, but he didn't. Kendall smacked him with the shovel. It was enough to slow him down, but it didn't hurt him like it did the other monsters. Instead, Fury ripped the shovel from her hands and smacked Kendall with it.

Cammy watched as Kendall sunk to the ground, blood pouring from her head. Her eyes were shut and she wasn't moving. Fury tossed the shovel aside and turned his attention back to Cammy.

"The Rangers won't have a choice," he said as he was about to grab her. Cammy screamed again, and she heard her foster parents scream. However, Fury didn't snatch her. Someone jumped in the way.

"No hurt Kendall!" the blue Ranger shouted as he tackled Fury, dragging him with superhero strength across the park and then smashing him sickeningly into a tree while the other Rangers gathered around Cammy and Kendall. The black and red Rangers went to check up on Kendall while pink and green stood before Cammy. Pink took her hand.

"Let's get you to your parents," she said. Cammy shook her head.

"But... but the monster, he..."

"Trust me, the blue guy's got that covered," green said. "And then we'll take your friend somewhere safe. She'll be fine. Just get home, okay!"

"Cammy!" her foster mother rushed over, scooped her up and hugged her tight, "What were you doing out here?"

"Take her inside," the green Ranger suggested to the parents, but Cammy shook her head and slipped out of her mother's arms. She tried to run, her father caught her arm.

"No! Kendall..."

"We'll take care of her," Pink promised. "She's in good hands."

"Don't let her die," Cammy begged. "She thinks I hate her! Kendall!"

"Cammy, the Rangers can handle this from here," her father said and tried to pull Cammy towards the house. She shook her head, broke away and ran to Kendall.

"Kid," the black Ranger tried to keep her back. Cammy ducked under his arm and knelt next to Kendall.

"You don't have to adopt me," Cammy whispered. "Just don't die."

The blue Ranger came back. He seemed to be nursing a few wounds, but when Cammy looked around, she saw the monsters were gone. The blue Ranger pointed to Kendall.

"Get to hospital," he said, and Cammy couldn't help but recognize his voice.

"We're on it," the black Ranger said and Cammy recognized his accent. There was no way.

"Wait, don't lift her," Cammy's father suggested when the Rangers were about to carry Kendall. "Her head's hurt pretty bad, you might make it worst. We'll call an ambulance."

"An ambulance might take too long, she's bleeding," the green Ranger said and Cammy knew his voice too. In fact she was sure she knew all the Rangers. She saw them every Friday. They served her dinner in the cafe and kept her entertained until Kendall was done with her work. Work she always claimed was dinosaur related, but top secret.

The Rangers were dinosaur related. Cammy knew all their names. The red was obviously the T-Rex, the pink was the triceratops, and the blue was the stegosaurus. Green was a velociraptor. Kendall had taught Cammy about that dinosaur in one of their first weekly visits. The black one, he was a parasaurolophus. Cammy still couldn't pronounce the name properly, but she had learned about him just after learning about the velociraptor.

Those were the dinosaurs of the Rangers, and they were the dinosaurs most prominently featured in the museum. They were also the five favourite dinosaurs of Kendall's friends, whom worked at the dinosaur museum.

"No way," she muttered. Her mother pulled her back while her father helped the Rangers slow the bleeding from Kendall's head.


	6. So Much For Secret

It wasn't a Friday, but Cammy had convinced her parents to take her to the museum anyways. She had a homemade card in her hand and butterflies in her stomach as she approached the ticket desk and looked to the employee.

"Is Kendall here?"

Cammy was well known through the museum as Kendall's friend. If Kendall was at work, Cammy would be told, no matter how busy a day it was. Unfortunately, the employee shook his head.

"Sorry. She's not in. Sick, I hear. I'm sure she'll be back by Friday."

"But I want to see her now," Cammy said then showed the employee the card she made for Kendall. "She thinks I'm mad at her and I hate her, but I don't."

"I can make sure this gets to her when she comes back," the employee reached for the card but Cammy hugged it to her chest and shook her head.

"No! I have to give it to her! I need to see her!"

"She's not in," the employee said. "There's nothing I can do about that."

"Cammy?"

She turned her head and saw Chase was just coming into work. He had been pinning on his name tag when he saw her by the desk. He told the employee and her foster father that he had this under control and moved her over somewhere a little more private to talk. Cammy was a lot like Kendall. She attached herself onto to a few select people. Chase figured he could get more out of her one on one than if he addressed the issue in front of everyone.

"Kendall's not here today," he told her. "But she's fine, alright. She'll be in on Friday, if you want to stop by then."

"I want to see her now," Cammy said. "Please? Can you take me to the Ranger base or whatever."

"Ranger... uh, hmm... what?" Chase frowned, trying to play off like he had no idea what Cammy was talking about, but worried she knew more than she should. She was a smart kid, after all, and she had been caught up in the middle of the fight the night before. Kendall could have revealed something before the Rangers turned up, or Cammy could have put the pieces together herself. Either way, Chase knew he had to play this carefully.

"You're a Power Ranger. The black one. You and him... well, you and you have the same accent. And Koda's blue. They both talk funny. And Kendall's part of it. Somehow. That's why that Fury guy was coming after her."

"Who was coming after her?"

"Don't play stupid with me," Cammy shook her head. She glanced over to her father, just to make sure that, though he was watching, he couldn't hear anything. When she was satisfied, she turned back to Chase. "I know you were there. I know you're the black Ranger and I know Kendall knows all about it."

"Cam..."

"That's why she won't adopt me, right? That monster used me to try and get her to give up energems. I watch movies, you know. I know that's a thing they do."

"Movies aren't real..."

"Kendall said she loved me," Cammy said. "Right before the monsters showed up. Then she fought, really fought, the monsters to protect me. He was going to use me and she protected me. That's how she wound up with a shovel in her head."

"A shovel..."

"You were there!" Cammy shouted and stomped her foot. "I know you know what's going on. I know you know where Kendall is! I want to see her! Please, I have to see her."

Chase sighed, glanced around the museum entrance quickly then looked back to Cammy.

"Stay here, alright?"

"Don't lie to me..."

"I'm going to help," Chase said. "Just, stay right here. I'm just going to talk to your dad."

Cammy nodded hesitantly as Chase walked off. He approached her foster father and exchanged a few words with him before getting a nod. Her father pointed to his watch, likely to tell Chase what time he would be back to pick up Cammy, then walked out. Chase came back, touched her shoulder and walked her into the museum.

"So Kendall really is here," Cammy asked. Chase shook his head.

"No. But if your father asks, she was."

"But she's not? I'm lying?"

"I told him Kendall was in, but after last night, was taking an easy day. She doesn't want to talk to people, take guests, or really leave her office. She just wants to focus on her job."

"But that's not true?"

"It's a little true," Chase said. He brought Cammy to the dino cafe, where she saw all the Rangers were working. He waved them over, signalling to them that this was important. The Rangers found an excuse to all ditch work and followed Chase and Cammy down an empty hallway.

"What's this about?" Riley asked, looking to Cammy, then to Chase. "In case you've forgotten, we've got jobs to do."

"Yeah, boring ones," Shelby rolled her eyes. "I'll take anything over serving another burger."

"You're supposed to be in the kitchen today," Tyler reminded her. Shelby's eyes widened slightly.

"No wonder none of my orders have been coming out!"

"Guys, this is important," Chase said, then turned his attention to Cammy, "Alright. Name our colours."

"Tyler's got to be red, because red is the T-Rex and your tag says that's your favourite. Shelby is pink, because that's the only girl, and Kendall wasn't the pink Ranger last night."

"Ranger?" Riley gasped but Chase hushed him to let Cammy continue.

"Riley's green, for the same reason Tyler is red. Seriously, guys, those name tags don't help the secret identity stuff. And I've already mentioned Chase is black because of the accent, and Koda is blue because he speaks funny."

"English not first language," Koda reminded her, while the others were shocked. Cammy had found them out. Shelby tried to laugh it off.

"So our name tags have the same dinosaurs as the Rangers. They are well known. It's not that..."

"You're the Power Rangers. And Kendall's part of it too. That's why the monster came after her..."

"A monster attacked her?" Riley asked, feigning concern. Chase put his hand on his shoulder and looked to his teammates with a shake of the head.

"I've already danced with her, guys. She knows. She knows about us. We're made."

Tyler knelt before Cammy. He looked her in the eyes.

"You really know?"

Cammy showed him the card she made Kendall. "I have to see her. I have to talk to her – before Friday. She won't adopt me, and I thought it was because she doesn't care. But she's one of you guys and I've seen movies. I know the bad guys like to hurt people the hero loves."

"But Ms. Morgan's not a Ranger," Riley pointed out. "There are five Rangers, and five of us. She's not the hero..."

"You take that back!" Cammy shouted and tried to shove Riley. Chase grabbed her before she found the strength to knock the green Ranger over.

"Whoa, that's not what he meant."

"Kendall fought monsters last night! She saved me! And even though they were coming after her, she protected me! She's a hero!"

"Cammy, he just meant she's not a Ranger. Sledge and Fury, they're coming after us and our energems. Kendall's not bonded to one, so..."

"The monster did come after her last night," Cammy told Chase and the rest of the team. "He told her to give him the energems or he would kill me. I know she knows something. I know she's a big part of this, otherwise the bad guy wouldn't have used me for bait; he would have used her against you!"

"She's got a point," Tyler conceded.

"I get it now," Cammy said to the Rangers. "I get why Kendall won't adopt me. She's a hero, and she can't let what happened last night happen again. She tried to avoid it in the first place! Now she's hurt, and she thinks I hate her and... Please," Cammy looked pleadingly to the Rangers, "I want to see her."

"Okay," Chase looked to his friends to be sure they all agreed, then nodded to Cammy, "We'll take you down."

"Down?" Cammy frowned. Chase took her hand and led her to Kendall's office. It was empty, but that didn't stop the Rangers. They walked in, went straight to Kendall's laptop, and Chase typed something in. Then the bookshelf on the wall started to move, revealing a slide.

"Whoa!" Cammy smiled. "That's so cool! Has that been there the whole time?"

"Longer than most of us have been here," Chase nodded his head then gestured to the slide, "Go on. We'll be right behind you."

"Where does it go?"

"Our secret base."

"For real?" Cammy asked. She walked up to the slide while Riley looked to Chase worriedly.

"Are we sure it's a good idea letting her in?" he whispered. "Our identities..."

"She found out on her own. It'll do no good lying to her," Chase shrugged. "Besides, no one's going to take an eight year old seriously if she says she knows the Power Rangers, right?"


	7. A Coincidence

After convincing the Rangers she knew who they were and insisting she needed to speak to Kendall, Cammy rode the secret slide in her friend's office. Once at the bottom, she found herself in what appeared to be an underground lab. In the middle was a work station, much like what Cammy had seen on TV. Cammy didn't have time to admire it or anything, though, when she saw Kendall was there working.

"You're okay!" Cammy called out and rushed over. Kendall stopped what she was doing to catch the little girl in a hug.

"How did you get down here?"

"The Rangers let me in," Cammy said. "I know all about it."

"Cammy..."

Cammy looked to the bandage on the side of Kendall's face, where she had been struck by the shovel. She remembered seeing all the blood and Kendall lying limp and looking very pale on her front yard and tears filled her eyes.

"I was so scared you were going to die," Cammy said. "And that you thought I hated you. But I get it now. I get why you won't adopt me! It's too dangerous."

Kendall sat Cammy down in her chair then leaned against her desk. She wasn't sure what to say or do at this moment. Cammy offered her the card in her hand.

"I made this for you," she said. "I couldn't sleep last night. I was so worried you were going to die."

"I wasn't going to die."

"You obviously didn't see all the blood," Cammy muttered. She looked up at Kendall, "I'd rather you not adopt me and you stay alive for years and years, than for you to adopt me and some evil monster murders you because you're trying to protect me."

"You're talking about last night?"

"I'm talking about forever," Cammy said, then pointed around the lab. "This is why you said no, right? Not because you don't want me. But because you're scared something's going to happen to me?"

"That's... the main reason," Kendall nodded. She knelt before Cammy, took the girl's hands and looked her in the eyes. "What happened last night, I can't let it happen again. Fury and Sledge, they're after the energems. We've found five, but there are still five more out there. The Rangers, they're out there looking for them, but Sledge and Fury... they know about me."

"What do you do?"

Kendall gestured around the lab, "Finding energems is my specialty. It's what I'm usually working on when you visit. The Rangers, they do most of the digging and the field work while I... I tell them where to go."

"You're the brains?"

"You can say that," Kendall nodded her head. "And Sledge and Fury, they know that too. They know what I do for the Rangers. That puts me in just as much danger as the rest of them."

Cammy's eyes started to water. She shook her head, "I don't want you to die..."

"And I won't," Kendall promised her. "I stick to working here, in the lab, where it's safe. I get out sometimes. Usually the Rangers have my back. And if I do run into trouble, I can get myself out."

"Like last night?"

"Last night was different," Kendall said. "Last night, getting myself to safety wasn't my concern. Keeping you safe, getting you back to your parents, that mattered more to me than my life or the safety of the energems and... Cammy, that's just not something the world can afford."

"I get it," Cammy whispered. "I'm a distraction."

"If I adopt you now, I'm afraid what happened last night will happen again. And we might not get so lucky, then."

"Lucky?" Cammy asked and gestured to the side of Kendall's face. "You call that lucky?"

"You're alive, safe, and the energems are still in our possession," Kendall nodded. "Last night, we won. Next time... next time, I might be forced to choose again... and if it's between you and the energems..."

"You'd pick the energems..."

"I'd pick you," Kendall stated. "Cammy, it's not... it's not that I don't like you, or don't want you. It's that... I care about you more than I care about all this, and right now, that's dangerous."

"Maybe later you'll adopt me?" Cammy asked. "When this whole thing is over? Once you're done saving the world?"

"I'm not making promises," Kendall said. "I'm not really mother material. But we'll figure this out because whether or not I do adopt you, I'm always going to be around."

"And that's what I want too," Cammy smiled. She pointed to the card, "So... are you going to open that now, or what?"

Kendall nodded as she looked to the cover of the card in her hands. She smiled, seeing Cammy had written _'Get well soon'_ on the front and had drawn a picture of the museum. Then she opened the card and that was when her eyes started to water. Inside, Cammy had written, in big, _"I love you,"_ and framed the words with hearts. Just below, Cammy had done her best to draw Kendall as a Power Ranger.

"I know you're not one," Cammy said. "So I made you purple, because you're still a hero. Despite what Riley says."

"I'm a hero?"

"A hero is a good person. Someone who does the right thing, no matter what. Someone you can depend on. You're... um... my hero. So that's why I made you a Ranger.

"I love it," Kendall smiled and pulled Cammy in for a tight hug.

"I made you purple because I know it's your favourite colour," Cammy said. "And your dinosaur is the plesiosaur. I know it's not a dinosaur but... well, close enough, right?"

"Yeah, close enough," Kendall nodded. She set the card on her desk, then took Cammy's hand, "Energem stuff can wait for today. The doctor said I should take it easy anyways. What if we just went out for some ice-cream or something?"

"Two scoops?"

"Can you even finish two?"

"We won't know unless we try," Cammy said. Kendall chuckled as she nodded her head.

"Alright. Two scoops. But this time only."

-Dino-Charge-

The day passed quickly for Kendall. She had spent a lot more time on her feet than the doctor had recommended. In fact, he had told her to take the day off entirely and stay in bed. But Kendall couldn't imagine any better medicine than spending time with Cammy.

The adoption issue had been a big scare. Kendall didn't want to lose Cammy over the fact that she couldn't afford to lose her. Just the thought of Sledge and Fury using Cammy as bait, or against her and the Rangers, terrified Kendall more than anything. Fortunately, Cammy had come around. She was smart, and seemed to understand Kendall's reasons for turning her down. Better, even, was that she picked up on the fact that Kendall had rejected her out of love.

In the end, it worked out, and Kendall felt closer than ever to Cammy, and she was sure it worked the other way around. After all, their stories were quiet similar. Cammy never had parents she could depend on, and felt rather abandoned by the world – just like Kendall. Yet, for the first time in what was surely a long time, both felt comfortable enough to utter the three words they never imagined hearing or saying genuinely: I love you.

As Kendall returned to her lab, she picked up the card Cammy had made for her and read those three words over and over again. They made her smile, and filled her with more joy than anything had before.

Then she looked down at the image Cammy had drawn of Kendall as the purple Ranger. The plesiosaur Ranger – it had to be a coincidence. Kendall's eyes strayed over to her table, where an empty charge for the purple energem sat. Kendall closed the card and kept it in hand as she picked up the charger.

"It's got to be a coincidence," she muttered to herself, then set the charger down. She put the card in her bag as she got packed up to head home.


End file.
